The US Justice Department has reversed a controversial decision, restoring a photograph featuring former President Donald Trump to the publicly released Jeffrey Epstein files. The move follows a swift political backlash and accusations of interference.
Removal and Restoration: A Matter of Procedure
Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the issue publicly on Sunday 21 December 2025. He stated that the initial removal of the image, which occurred on Saturday, had "nothing to do" with President Trump. Blanche explained that a total of 16 images were taken down at the request of victim advocacy groups concerned about potential identification.
"We don't have perfect information," Blanche told NBC News' Meet the Press. "And so when we hear from victims-rights groups about this type of photograph, we pull it down and investigate." The department restored the specific image containing Trump after concluding it posed no risk of exposing victims of the late convicted sex offender.
Victims' Rights at the Centre of the Debate
The episode has highlighted tensions between transparency and victim protection in the high-profile case. Prominent victims' rights attorney Gloria Allred criticised the document release process, stating the "system has failed the survivors". She told CNN that some survivors' names were published and certain images were inadequately redacted, which she called "completely unacceptable".
Meanwhile, newly revealed documents underscore historic failures. An FBI report from Maria Farmer, whose sister was abused by Epstein at age 16, shows she reported Epstein's misconduct to authorities as early as 1996. The report alleges Epstein "stole" nude images, yet no meaningful investigation followed at the time.
Political Fallout and Legal Scrutiny
The unexplained removal on Saturday triggered immediate accusations from Democratic figures of political interference to benefit Trump, a former associate of Epstein. Furthermore, the Justice Department faces separate criticism for failing to fully comply with a legal requirement to disclose all Epstein-related documents by the Friday deadline.
Several members of Congress have threatened legal action over this failure. Legal experts note that while Congress has tools to compel compliance, a significant obstacle exists: the entity accused of breaking the law holds the enforcement authority.
This controversy forms part of a broader weekend of political developments. Elsewhere, the US Coast Guard pursued another oil tanker near Venezuela, marking the third such action in a week. Domestically, the Turning Point USA gathering revealed public infighting within the MAGA movement, while a Louisiana nursing student detained by ICE for six months spoke out about her hopelessness.
